VIDEO: Sky high rescue in Sugar Creek

The good thing about a high-angle rescue demonstration conducted Friday at the Lafarge cement plant in Sugar Creek was the Kansas City Fire Department’s use of a dummy as the “victim.”

Although the “victim” was successfully rescued without incident, clinging voluntarily from a conveyor belt walkway 100 feet in the air probably wouldn’t have been a good idea for any human being, considering the circumstances.

The demonstration was part of Lafarge’s observance of Health and Safety Month, held in June for the second year at Lafarge Group locations throughout the world.

Friday’s demonstration concluded Lafarge’s month-long activities for employees, their families and customers that centered on safety, healthy eating, safe driving and fire extinguisher training, said Jarrod Huntley, plant manager at Lafarge’s Sugar Creek location on North Courtney Road.

“Worldwide, we are taking time this month to reinforce safety, which is our No. 1 priority,” Huntley said. “We do numerous activities throughout the month.”

Huntley said Lafarge and the KCFD have an agreement in place that allows the KCFD to use abandoned buildings owned by Lafarge for specialized training operations. Friday was a testament to the working relationship, Huntley said. “It’s a win for them, it’s a win for us and it’s a win for the community because they are highly trained,” said Huntley.

Todd Ackerson, Battalion Chief for KCFD’s Rescue Division, said Friday was a “fantastic opportunity for us to come out and train.”

“We’re limited in what we can do at the (KCFD training) academy,” Ackerson said. “Anytime we can put our people in different (fire-training situations), it just makes it better.”